Staff Spotlight: Drew Edwards

What is your favorite travel memory?


What do you believe to be the biggest factor in being a successful company?

People. If you have the right people AND the right focus, that focus also being people and relationships, then that infuses your company culture, your decision making, and your priorities. Being people oriented allows you to think big about how are we impacting everyone - ourselves, our partners overseas, our stakeholders, the environment, etc...

How have you changed/grown since working for your current company?

Ha! Eight years later I feel almost like a different person. I have tapped into reservoirs of patience and compassion I did not know I had as an overseas educator, I have grown immensely in how I relate to and work with those closest to me, I have learned to constantly question what you are doing and that EVERYTHING should be a work in progress. The moment you think you have it all figured out is the moment you stop growing.

What is the best story you've heard from a return student?

"While on my group semester with Carpe Diem, I have discovered some personal limits. I've even surpassed a few during my time in East Africa. Being 18 and between high school and university is such a weird, transitional stage. I think that through this semester, I've finally begun to find myself. I've seen an amazing part of the world, all while I have been figuring out what is important to me and how the world figures into my life. From the henna on my hands to the new found appreciation for street food, I know there is so much more out there. Carpe and my leaders have not only given me an opportunity to become more mindful of my own passions, but to be a more mindful global citizen as well." - Caitlin Garbo

This is what it is all about!